NEW Hill of Beath Hawthorn manager Stewart Kenny is aiming to lay the base on which he can build a successful 2023-24 season for the Keirs Park side.

The Haws only stayed up by the narrowest of margins last term, and the former Oakley United and Camelon boss, hopes to build a squad which can establish itself as one of the stronger sides in the East of Scotland Premier League.

After leading Oakley to the Premier League, Kenny spent most of last season at East League First Division side, Camelon.

“It was a strange season, we were doing reasonably well in the league but in the New Year the club was involved in a takeover, and while I was invited to stay on and work with the new manager, I felt it only sensible to stand aside,” he said.

“So after being out of the game for a few months I was delighted to be asked by the Hill of Beath Hawthorn committee to take over, it is a real honour to have the chance to manage such a famous local club.”

He added: “I want to get our recruitment right, over the next few weeks, so that when we resume training on Tuesday June 20 we have a squad which can be prepared to compete strongly in what is a very good division.

“Teams such as Sauchie, Musselburgh Athletic, Penicuik, Broxburn, Jeanfield Swifts and local rivals, Dundonald Bluebell and Crossgates Primrose, have proved to be very useful sides over the past few seasons, and we will have to be at our best compete with them, but that is my aim and hopefully before training restarts, we will have a number of good new recruits on board.”

Kenny was also very impressed with the performance of the Haws U20s side, who won their Conference C title recently.

READ MORE: Hill of Beath youngsters win league

Kenny said: “The 20s were superbly managed by Lindsay Scott, and her backroom team, and they deservedly won the title and there are some really good young players amongst the squad who will be valuable assets for the club."

He made his first signing last midweek when he agreed terms with Cowdenbeath for Stuart Love, a player he knows well.

He commented: “I managed him at Oakley and he is a fantastic midfield organiser who works really hard, and hopefully we will have another three or four good quality recruits aboard for the new season."